Ronin’s Gaming Reviews: Army of Two – The 40th Day

You may have noticed that under the preferred platform list I used the word “bro.” This is typically a word that I’d never use but it is heavily warranted for this game. This game possesses one of the bromanciest bromances to ever mance a bro. Sure, Mario and Luigi help each other out whenever Bowser nabs the princess, but we know who takes the spotlight. The same can be said of Sonic and Tails, Ryu and Ken, and most other videogame pairings throughout history. The stars of Army of Two, Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem, know how to keep it real even when the bullets start flying. They know a good mercenary duo takes the time to bond with fist bumps, chest bumps, rounds of rock/paper/scissors, and hugging it out.

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a shooter, which means you could probably tell means it doesn’t possess the best narrative storytelling before you even play it. True, the plotline isn’t exactly prevalent, and Hell if you decline to pick up and listen to some radio messages there’s a chance you don’t know what the heck is going on up until the end of the game. But, in retrospect I’m perfectly fine with that. All you need to know is that shit’s going down in China town and you’re stuck in the middle of it with your partner. You don’t really NEED to know why China is crumbling, you just happen to find out because the people doing the crumbling also want you dead.

Strewn throughout the game are moments of narrative choice In the forms of good/bad moral choices. Kill/Don’t kill this person for extra money/no reward. Steal/don’t steal these weapons for new gun/no gun. These have little impact other than immediate rewards and a reflection on your team’s morality title. Interesting thing about these is the ambiguity. After making a choice you’ll be shown an animated cutscene displaying the future events caused by your actions, often showing events that aren’t as “good” or “bad” as you had originally expected. While most see the morality system as something good or bad for the game, I’m pretty neutral. (Ha, see what I did there?) They could stay or go either way. Also interesting is that these choices are decided by whichever teammate presses a button first. In a solo campaign you have sole control, but in co-op, one of the two players will hold the power.

At least with the absence of an invigorating story, I get to talk more about the gameplay in my review. Woo! Here’s the basics. You start the game, you shoot the bad guys, you earn money, you purchase upgrades, and return to step 2. Upgrading your weapons in this game isn’t just increasing clip sizes and adding scopes and silencers, you become the Dr. Frankenstein of munitions. There are a large assortment of weapons, and once you purchase a new one, you can swap parts with any other similar gun. Stock of an M4, barrel of an AK, body of… some other gun. It all culminates in a series of stats reflecting the guns power. You want an automatic shotgun with a bayonet, a bullet shield, and a gold paintjob? You got it.

With the focus on co-op gameplay, there is the need for somewhat tactical gameplay. Sure you might be able to bust into a room with guns blazing and hope to survive, and this might work for earlier levels. But thanks to the aggro system, you can focus attention while your partner slips behind enemy lines. You can have one character tank while another snipes. There are moments where you and your partner can mock surrender to and surprise enemies. There’s plenty of fun to be had while you and your friend decide how to properly conquer a heavily guarded room.

The game is roughly the same length of modern shooters, but there is plenty of reason to go back and play through again. You can replay segments with your same armament, so if you think you need some better weapons, just go back and play through an early mission for a little extra money. The game is perfect for those who want a game to play with their buddies with a little bit of friendly bickering thrown in. And trust me, there is no such thing as a co-op game without bickering between players. This is just a fun shooter. Emphasis on fun and shooter. Sure it’s missing a few things in the story department, but makes up for it in bullet bliss.

Verdict: If you are not a fan of shooters I can reasonably see passing this game over. But if you want a game that doesn’t care if it isn’t reinventing storytelling and just lets you shoot things with your buddy, go ahead and get it. At the time of this posting, the game should have dropped from its $60 price tag to $40, so if that is low enough for you to buy a good bit of fun, then do it. Otherwise, if you find yourself with a friend and a weekend to waste, go out and rent this game and have some drunken shenanigans.